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Berenberg Snow-Polo, Klosters 2008 |
For the 3rd consecutive year Beverley Polo Club owner Andrew Foreman flew out to Klosters to compete in the Berenberg Snow Polo tournament.The tournament was first brought about when Daniel Waechter the director of tourism in Klosters teamed up with Jack Kidd and Andrew Foreman to organise an exhibition match in 2005.The tournament organised by the Alpine Snow Polo Club took place from the 16th to the 20th of January at the ever popular destination in the heart of Swizterland’s Graubunden district which is a popular resort for boarders, skiers, sledgers and now polo! You may be wondering how could polo be played on snow??The game was very similar to arena polo with regards to the rules and with only 3 players per team. It was played in an oval arena of which was 300 feet long by 150 feet wide, surrounded by walls made out of compacted snow approximately 1 metre in height. A large orange ball is used, similar to a football enabling it to bounce off the walls of the arena. The goal posts are used the same as in an outdoor game. The surface is very basic, made form compressed snow and ice that is flattened in between games with a snow conditioner.The horses have to wear shoes with specially designed rubber insoles in their shoes which flick the ice out, complete with studs all round to prevent them from slipping and sliding!The horses generally have to have some of their hair shaved off in what is known as a trace clip. This is a diagonal clip running from the horses head to under their belly which means that when they get hot and sweaty during a match it shouldn’t take so long for them to dry off, hopefully preventing them from catching a cold! At sub 0 temperatures the game is very demanding to horse and rider.This year’s matches (apart from the final) were held in the evenings under flood light as the surface is better when it is colder. This also enabled people to shop or ski during the day. Playing at night was a magical experience for all teams and for the spectators. This time around saw 6 teams battling it out in the main tournament to take the 2008 Berenberg title. A number of the UKs top polo players competed in the tournament including 5 goal player Jack Kidd, brother of super model Jodie Kidd along with other 5 goalers Jamie Morrison and Tim Bown. The tournament attracted players from across the globe including Argentina, South Africa, Ireland and Germany. Andrew Foreman represented team Hackett along with Tim Bown and Richard Fagan of which put on a truly spirited performance over the 4 days especially on the finals day in their match against their hosts - Berenberg Bank. The matches were played in what is most commonly known as a round robin. This is where 3 teams participate in a match which consists of 6 chukkas. Firstly 2 teams will play one another for 2 chukkas and the winning team stays on to play against the 3rd team. After a further 2 chukkas have been played the team that has played 4 chukkas in a row will come off and the team that lost the 1st 2 chukkas will come back on to play the last 2. Tournament ResultsFirst DayGroup 1 Group 2 | Berenberg | 6 | Rotunda Tours / South African Airways | 7 | Hackett | 5 | Schloss Sihlberg | 5 | | eCRT | 7 | Berenberg | 2 | Schloss Silberg | 8 | Parmigiani | 7 | | eCRT | 6 | Rotunda Tours / South African Airways | 2 | Hackett | 4 | Rotunda Tours / South African Airways | 2 |
Second Day | Berenberg | 2 | Rotunda Tours / South African Airways | 6 | Hackett | 4 | Schloss Sihlberg | 8 | | eCRT | 10 | Berenberg | 5 | Schloss Silberg | 5 | Parmigiani | 4 | | eCRT | 6 | Rotunda Tours / South African Airways | 2 | Hackett | 4 | Rotunda Tours / South African Airways | 4 |
The finals was a day of intense action between the 6 teams which saw team Berenberg against team Hackett for the losers final and Team Rotonda Tours / South Africa Airways against team Parmigiani for the semi final. All made a tremendous effort fighting it out to the bitter end.The 3rd and final match of the day made for some serious nail biting action. Team Ecrt met team Schloss Sihlberg in a breathtaking final of which the Ecrt team came out on top. Captined by ‘Mr Snow Polo’ himself Jack Kidd known for his amazing skill on the ice knew just how to pull it off and lead his team to victory. The ladies tournament consisted of 3 teams who fought passionately in ‘La Prairie Ladies Polo’ Tournament. As the main game, it was played in a round robin of which saw team B & B consisting of Louise Mclaren Tosh (1), Louise Sandberg (1) and super model Jodie Kidd (1) come out on top and go on to win the final. Throughout the tournament were plenty of parties and dinners in the evenings held in the marquee and various restaurants throughout Klosters. There was much fun and entertainment to be had by all!
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